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What should I do if I find sick or dead wildlife?

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119

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Welcome to CoreFacts, where we're always short on time and big on science. I'm Jessica Robertson. Today's question is ...

What should I do if I find sick or dead wildlife?

A cluster of sick or dead animals in an area may indicate a wildlife disease of concern. If you find sick or dead wildlife, contact your closest state or federal wildlife agency that may want to investigate some of these incidents. You may also want to contact your local health department to report this occurrence.  For example, many local health departments use dead bird reports to estimate West Nile Virus infection and the wildlife agency may request that you contact your local health department to report a sick or dead bird.

And now you know. Join us again every weekday for a new CoreFact. For other CoreFacts, or for CoreCast, our in-depth science podcast, go to usgs.gov/podcasts. If you'd like to have a question featured on our show, give us an email at corefacts@usgs.gov or a phone call at 703-648-5600. Remember, long distance fees do apply.

CoreFacts is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

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